Chapter One: Sexless Marriage

Xu Zi's law firm was located in the tallest skyscraper in the CBD of Chengzhou City, a towering symbol of elite status.

Two years ago, she spared no expense to rent an entire floor, which suited her personality well—she loved to make a statement and show off. Of course, this "no expense spared" didn't come from her own pocket but from her wealthy grandfather.

However, for the past two months, she had been worried about finding a new location.

The building's management informed her that a big boss was willing to pay a high price to rent floors 23 to 25. Coincidentally, floors 23 and 25 were vacant, leaving only her on the 24th floor as an "obstacle." The building was willing to compensate her according to the contract terms.

For Xu Zi, it wasn't a matter of relocating or money; it was a matter of stubbornness. The big boss who had tried to "eliminate her" was none other than her newlywed husband, Yu Jiyan.

In the eyes of outsiders, a successful high-society figure; in her eyes, a totally scumbag.

"Jenny, I've looked at three new locations. Can you take a look and see if they're okay?"

The speaker was Xu Zi's assistant, Fei Jun, who had been with her for a year. He was young, handsome, and efficient, but the only thing that didn't sit well with Xu Zi was his background.

He was Yu Jiyan's nephew.

Whether he was a spy planted by Yu Jiyan, Xu Zi still couldn't figure out. When the young man first joined, Xu Zi's difficult personality gave him a hard time at work, but he was truly smart and managed to overcome every challenge.

The office had a clear view, with a swath of white light streaming through the tulips on the desk, casting a pale porcelain-like glow on Xu Zi's petite face. She pressed her temples, while her other hand glided across the pad, looking at these unsatisfactory buildings with a headache.

Fei Jun cleared his throat, propped his hand on the desk, and said, "Actually, Jenny, even though my uncle seems quiet and stern, he's quite reasonable. If you talk to him nicely, maybe we won't have to move."

Xu Zi had a stunning face, but when she didn't smile, her features appeared slightly sharp. "I would love to talk to him, but we haven't seen each other for two months."

Fei Jun: "..."

He furrowed his brow in surprise. Her mind had gone astray. Two months without seeing each other? That meant two months without any intimacy? No wonder she had been in a bad mood lately.

Fei Jun made a suggestion, "How about talking on the phone?"

Xu Zi forced a smile, "Your uncle is incredibly busy."

Fei Jun glanced at the date on his pad, "It's the 26th today. My uncle should be on a flight back from Singapore by now." Then he realized, "Oh my, today is Grandpa's birthday. I almost forgot due to being so busy. Can I catch a ride with you tonight?"

When it came to family matters, his tone became more relaxed, as if the person sitting across from him was no longer his boss but his aunt.

Xu Zi lowered her gaze and continued to browse case files on her Mac, answering softly, "I won't be driving tonight."

Fei Jun asked, "Shall we take a taxi together?" Then he muttered, "Wait, that's not right. You have a germ phobia, and you never take taxis."

Her slender fingers suddenly moved on the keyboard, and Xu Zi looked up, saying, "Your uncle will come to give me a lift."

Fei Jun snapped his fingers enthusiastically, picked up his pad, and stood up with a playful smile, saying, "Going in circles, it turns out you're showing affection. Here, I wish your uncle and aunt a hundred years of happiness and the birth of a noble child."

Some words he only dared to say when he was at a distance, "I think we definitely don't need to move from this place. There's nothing that a good night's sleep can't solve."

Xu Zi makes no reply to him.

As autumn arrived in Chengzhou City, the weather became dry. Xu Zi had to apply hand cream numerous times a day. Being someone who had cared about her appearance since childhood, she couldn't stand even the slightest hint of dryness on her skin. She was fortunate to be a lucky one who was born into wealth and beauty. She had a radiant and tall figure, especially when the colder seasons came around, her knitted sweaters accentuated her chest.

Exaggeratedly speaking, she had indeed grown up with boys chasing after her.

Before the age of 25, Xu Zi had fantasized about her ideal marriage partner: tall, handsome, and most importantly, gentle and kind. But her nightmare struck overnight when her grandfather arranged a marriage that satisfied him, and she ended up marrying the man she despised the most, Yu Jiyan.

Three months ago, they were at odds in the courtroom.

Three months later, they were taking wedding photos together.

It was so ironic, so absurd.

How much did Xu Zi loathe Yu Jiyan?

Probably enough that she had proposed separate bedrooms and a sexless marriage, and she had taunted him, claiming they would definitely divorce within two years. Throughout this year, she had been searching for evidence of the big boss's infidelity, but he was slick and clever, guarding himself carefully, leaving no trace.

No problem, she had time to waste. She didn't believe that a tycoon of this level had very few mistresses.

Chengzhou International Airport, Terminal 2.

In the early autumn, the sky darkened early, and before six o'clock, the light dusk color was gradually overshadowed by the night. It was the off-season, and the flow of people at the arrival gate on the negative one floor was not large. Standing by a stone pillar was a tall and slender man in a fitted knee-length overcoat. Like everyone else, he exuded a sense of quality, and at his feet lay a carpet of dried yellow leaves.

A gust of cold air blew onto Yu Jiyan's neck, and he sniffed the air. After spending two months in Singapore, even the air in Chengzhou felt somewhat unfamiliar, desolate and quiet.

His assistant, Wen Er, had parked the Mercedes right in front and quickly got out of the car to assist the boss with his luggage.

In Wen Er's eyes, the boss was formidable and unapproachable, even somewhat aloof. Therefore, he was always cautious and careful in his actions, often rehearsing his words in his mind before speaking.

He slightly bowed, "Mr. Yu, the car is ready for you, and the navigation is set for Xiyu Garden for dinner tonight."

Yu Jiyan gazed ahead, always speaking concisely, "Change the address to Hengying Center."

Wen Er was nervous, "I've been following up on the company's relocation. We're still negotiating with the tenant on the 24th floor here."

He was worried that the boss was questioning his work.

Yu Jiyan didn't like a high profile, especially concerning private matters. So, Yahuai's employees only knew he was married, and that his wife came from a wealthy family.

Beyond that, they knew nothing, to the point that they hadn't even heard of their wedding.

Even his personal assistant, Wen Er, had never heard him speak about his marriage. If it weren't for the wedding ring on his ring finger, he wouldn't have noticed that his boss was married.

"It's unrelated to work," Yu Jiyan dismissed with just a sentence before getting into the driver's seat.

After Wen Er placed the luggage in the trunk, he walked to the window and said to the boss, "The car's temperature is set to 25 degrees, and I've changed the fragrance to cedar. I've also prepared the disinfectant wipes you requested."

"Good, thank you," Yu Jiyan nodded, never showing a smile on his face.

Over the years, Wen Er had grown accustomed to his boss's personality. Even if he did an outstanding job, he would only receive simple praise like now, seemingly devoid of emotions. However, working people understand a simple truth: work is about getting paid to do a job, so there's no need to seek warmth from the boss.

In recent years, Chengzhou had become a first-tier city, and the number of cars on the road had surged along with the population. On Fridays, the roads were congested, and it was bumper-to-bumper traffic. The closer they got to the CBD, the more bustling it became, with the bright lights shining like stars.

Yu Jiyan was a calm person, even while driving. The drivers in front and behind him were impatiently honking their horns, creating a cacophony. Yet, he leisurely listened to classical music, seemingly unfazed by the noise outside.

The outside light and shadows fell on his face, highlighting his sharp nose and well-defined facial features. In fact, he had fair skin and appeared cultured, but his eyes were distant and cold, making him seem far from gentle.

He excelled at testing one's patience.

His wife, on the other hand, was the exact opposite.

Amidst the soothing classical music, WeChat notifications suddenly chimed on his phone, more than one. Yu Jiyan glanced at the phone, where beautiful profile pictures kept sending messages, each one an impatient reminder.

Xu Zi: "Where are you?"

Yu Jiyan: "Traffic, please wait."

Xu Zi: "At this time on a Friday, Wenxi Road is always congested. The estimated time on the navigation is not accurate. You probably won't make it in thirty minutes. Don't bother, I'll drive myself. "

Yu Jiyan: "Traffic has cleared."

Xu Zi: "..."

Coincidentally, the road did clear up.

Yu Jiyan turned off the screen and drove straight ahead. After passing two traffic lights, he arrived at Hengying Center. He pressed the car window on the right, leaned out slightly, and saw the familiar figure by the roadside. He waved.

It was too cold outside, and Xu Zi quickly got into the car.

The first thing she did after getting in was to open the wet wipes placed in the front, wiped her hands, and then took out a hand cream from her LV bag with a cedar forest scent. She applied it to her slender fingers.

If one looked purely at appearances and ignored emotions, they were indeed a perfect match.

Xu Zi rarely rode in Yu Jiyan's car. In her memory, she had only ridden three times, each time out of necessity like visiting relatives. But she admitted that riding in his car was very comfortable; he drove smoothly and steadily.

However, they typically had little to no communication.

Incidentally, Xu Zi's gaze fell on the platinum wedding ring on Yu Jiyan's hand. She smiled sarcastically, "I thought you were on a business trip to Singapore and forgot about our dinner tonight. I almost had to go back home to get your wedding ring for you."

In Xu Zi's mind, while they were different people, at least they had the same attitude towards this marriage. Normally, she only wore the wedding ring when in front of elders, and she believed he did the same.

Yu Jiyan made a calm left turn, his face showing no emotions. He skipped that topic and said, "Today is Grandpa's 90th birthday. Don't dampen his spirits like last time. I can cooperate, I hope you can too."

Bringing up the last time, Xu Zi was still annoyed. Their grandfathers had a good relationship, and both families gathered for dinner on every festival. Last time, both elderly people had commented that they didn't seem close enough, saying that Xu Zi never addressed Yu Jiyan as "husband," always using his full name. At the time, she did find it excessive, so she had been making excuses, even if she acted cute, she could tell the elders weren't happy.

Xu Zi didn't argue and replied with a raised eyebrow, "Okay, I'll cooperate this time. I admit I was childish last time."

Yu Jiyan seemed to have a slight change in expression. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was smiling with lowered eyelids, but then she turned her gaze towards him.

"Yu Jiyan, no man can tolerate a sexless marriage, especially a wealthy and influential man like you. You've been in Singapore for two months, probably looking for some entertainment to pass the time, right?"

Yu Jiyan calmly looked ahead and spoke with a low voice, "Yes, the casino was good."

This sly fox was really good at avoiding the main issue.

Xu Zi temporarily suppressed the anger in her heart. "You understand what I'm saying. At the latest, by next year, I will definitely divorce you."

This kind of conversation had happened hundreds of times, and he typically responded with a simple "yes" in the face of such "threats."